Archive - Aug 4, 2011

Those that are familiar with my writings about gold and silver for the last six years know that I have said gold was cheap at $500, $600, $700, $800, $1000 and $1,200 a troy ounce and know that I have said silver was cheap at $11, $12, $14, $16, $25, and $30 a troy ounce. Today, I will reiterate that gold is still cheap in the $1500 to $1600 range and that silver is still cheap in the $40 range because the largest movements in gold and silver prices as well as gold and silver mining stocks have still not happened and will materialize over the next four to five years.

When it comes to its opinion on the shape of the bailout, Goldman is a force to be reckoned with (as in every other endeavor, no matter how self-serving the outcome ultimately is): after all it was Goldman which first proposed expanding the EFSF and using it as a "bad bank" SPV which has the extra benefit of being off the balance sheet, and can issue more debt than virtually any financial institution in the world (see EFSF - Too Small? Too Big? Or Just Wrong?). Which is why when Goldman discusses next steps, you can be positive, this is precisely what will end up happening, and that Goldman is already well positioned to profit from whatever policy recommendations it has imposed. So without further ado, here is Dirk Schumacher's latest outlook on how to perpetuate the European status quo.

•    The ECB is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.50% as expected
•    Analysts will look to see any comments by Trichet on the use of the Securities Markets Programme (SMP)
•    Trichet may be asked on the possibility of further extensions to ECB’s 3-month LTRO

While the key topic this morning is the BOJ's intervention in the JPY, which had been selling the Japanese currency virtually all night and was rumored to be constantly on the USDJPY bid (a move which is doomed to failure just like all such previous attempt by a central planner to take on the Bernank), the primary reason why futures are largely in the red is due to yet another very weak Spanish auction which sold €3.3 billion in 2014 and 2015 bonds at the highest yield since 2000. This is despite the rumored resumption of ECB bond buying as was reported by the Telegraph previously, a development which would mean that monetization via currency devaluation has commenced indirectly in Switzerland, Japan and the Eurozone, (soon the UK) in advance of the Fed's own third QE round. As for the Spanish bond auction specifics, the Treasury was expected to sell between €2.5 and €3.5 billion, ending with an amount of €1.111 billion of 4.4% bonds due 2015, a yield of 4.984% and a 2.4 Bid To Cover, and €2.2 billion in bonds due 2014 at a just modestly lower yield of 4.813% (compared to 4.291% in July) - the Bid To Cover was also a very weak 2.14. Once again, all these results assumed the ECB would backstop futures secondary market purchases: should this be proven to be a bluff, look for Spain to follow Italy in a self-imposed bond market exile.

A snapshot of the European Morning Briefing covering Stocks, Bonds, FX, etc.

Market Recaps to help improve your Trading and Global knowledge

I think it's time to go long Argentina...

The easy way out of turning to bigger, more solvent governments for bailouts has run its course.